Tonsil-remover



G. F. RICHTER.

TONSIL REMOVER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1919.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

m TORNEY )4 INVENTOR arr GUSTAV F. RICHTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TONSIL-BEMOVER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 19, 1921,

Application filed June 18, 1919. Serial No. 305,030.

To all to ham it may concern.

Be it known that I, GUSTAV F. .RICHTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, city ofiNew York, N. Y., have invented the following described Improvements in Tonsil-Removers. I My invention concerns tonsil removers of that class in which the severing members are relativelydull and function by pinching or crushing the tissues along the line of sever ance rather than by cutting or shearing. Considerably greater power is required to sever the tonsil in this way than is necessary for the shearing process; this makes a power multiplying device essential, but the sever ing members must also have the same length of stroke as in the ordinary cutting or shearing tonsilotome. On the other hand, it involves considerable mechanical complication to provide adequately forceful power means operating throughout the whole long stroke necessary in these instruments and ordinary power multiplying means, if employed for this purpose, are found to be :slow and clumsy in operation and to obstruct vision.

of the work. The present invention provides a means for removing tonsils by crushing in which the closing movement is effected in two stages. 7 In the first stage the blade member is advanced into the tonsil tissue without cutting it necessarily, but rather condensing and firmly compressing the tissue along the intended line of severance; comparatively little force is required in this stage. In the second stage the severing members are completely closed on each other and the tonsil actually removed. The power multiplying means is employed only in this second stage which is the only part of the whole closing, movement which requires great power; accordingly the power multiplying means is required to operate through only a short stroke and a simple and powerful form may be used. The operation of the power multiplying means is properly safeguarded so that this means can only become active after the initial closing movement has been accomplished and the" tonsil firmly compressed.

The present invention is in a way an improvement on the device'of by co-pending application, Serial No. 290,114, filed on or about April 15, 1919, and relates in part to the safe-guard indicated above. It also relates tocertain other features which'may'be addedto the device of my said co-pending application with some advantage but which are not necessarily limited thereto.

The present, invention, as well as that of my above identified prior application, contemplates a tonsil remover admitting as full and uninterrupted a View of the throat of the patient as possible, and a tonsil remover especially adapted for operation by one hand only whereby the operator has his other hand free for other purposes during the progress of the operation. By way of con-, trast with the device of my prior application,

my present invention contemplates the elimination of those parts of that device having to dovwith the safe-guarding of the operation of the power multiplying means, and to that end contemplates the addition ofa strong part, or member for holding the blade The details of my invention will be thoroughly and may be most readily understood from an. embodiment of my invention; for this purpose I have illustratedand described in the accompanyingdrawings and the following description the best embodiment of my invention of which Tam; now aware. F1gure1'1s an elevation of thls tons1l remover. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the instrument of Fig. 1, the parts being in different positions. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly 1n section, ofthe instrument of Figs. 1 and 2,

the parts being in the positionswhich they occupy in Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a sectional view on the line l41 of Fig. 3.

The severing members consists of a blade 1 and a bed 2 carried respectively by a socalled blade member 3 and frame 4:. The blade 1 slides within a groove inthe bed 2 as appears in Figs. 1 and 2. The bed 2 is provided with a large opening 5 for receiving the tonsil and this opening is spanned by the blade 1 during the severing operation. As before indicated, the operating or blade member?) rides. that this. flat spring 10 tends to hold the. blade and blade member in any position on ling transversely to the instrument and be- ;yond both sides of the slot 8' as is shown in the drawing. Carried on the outer surface of the blade member 3 is a flat spring 10 provided at its rear end with a slot 11 slightly wider and longer than the transverse head on the stud 6; this slot 11 extends, however, in the direction of the length of the spring 10. From the under-face of this flat spring 1.0 is carried a projection 12 extending into the slot 8. It will be seen from what has gone before thatgwith the flat spring 10 in the position shown in the drawing, this spring is firmly fixed in place by reason of the transverse head on the stud 6 and its own projection 12 along which the It will also be seen the frame that may be given to these parts.

Furthermore, the length of the slot 8 is such and theprojection 12 is so located that the right hand end of the slot 8 (in the drawing) is adapted to contact with the projection 12 when the blade 1 is withdrawn from the bed 2 and thereby prevent the retraction of the blade 1 beyond edge of the opening 5.

It will also be, observed that the spring 10 may be removed from the instrument by elevating the right hand end of the spring 10 until the projection 12 is free of the slot 8, and then turningthe spring 10 ninety degrees when the spring canbe removed over the transverse head of the stud 6.

The rear end of the blade member 3 is :provided with a finger piece 15, as shown. Justin advance of the finger piece 15 the blade member 3 is provided with a second longitudinal slot 16, the location and :purpose of which will be later referred to. Ad-

jacent the rear end of the frame 4, this frame is provided with an integrally formed upstanding bar 18 with a lip overlying the blade member 3 at 19. Two oppositely faced grip members 20 and 21 arealso car- 7 ri'ed by the frame 4 but below the same. as

.is shown in the drawing. The grip member 20 in the instance illustrated is a finger gripmember while the grip member 21 is more in the nature of a palm grip member. The grip member20 and the finger piece 15 are, it will be understood, rigidly connected to the severing members 3 and tend-they are disposed in opposition to each other, as illustrated, sort-hat the instrument may be grasped thereby, for example with one fingerembracing the grip member 20 and the first finger of the same hand, i. e. the thumb, in engagement with the finger piece 15; It will be seen accordingly that when the blade 1' (and blade member 3) is in a retracted position, the instrument may be grasped in one hand and the blade 1 moved forward toward the bed 2, that is, the severing members movedtoward their closing position, by] squeezing-the instrument, as it were, in

"the hand, that is by contrary pressures of the fingers on the finger piece 15 and the only comparatively little power is required ment illustrated this part of the stroke is accomplished by theaction just referred to,

c. by the direct sliding of theblade 1 by the fingers. This is the first stage of the closing of the severing members.

Thesecond stage of the closingfiof the severing members is accomplished by-the co-action of the grip member21' and the fgrip lever 22. The grip lever 22 extends through an opening 25 in thegnp 21,'as

shown. in Figs. 3' and 1,; and the upper and shorter arm 23. of this grip lever '22 is sub stantially in. the central plane of the instrugrip member 20. 'As before pointed out,

.for the operation of the blade throughout f a greater partof its stroke in the instrument and stands below and extends toward and is movable 11111013116 path of 'movement' of the blade member 8, as shown in Figs. 1,

2 and 3. As the'opposing grip -21 andgrip lever 22 are squeezed in the operators hand,

the shorter arm 23 of "the grip lever 22 moves toward'the blade member"3. "1t" should be observed that the grip 21 liesimmediately back of and somewhat below the grip 20'and t'hatthe grip lever 22 lies im-' mediately below the grip 20, and that both grip 21 and cooperating'lever 22 aretdisposed so adjacent'the' grip 20 and finger 'pi'ece .15as to lie in'the same hand grasping or operating the two "parts 15 and 20. By reason of their relations,-the parts 15,20,

21 and 22 make this instrument an eliicienti one hand device, that'is' a device which the operator may manipulate throughout the whole operation by one hand whereby the other hand is left free to perform any one of the many duties likely to arise or necessary during the operation.

The grip 21 and grip lever 22 operate the severing members in the second stage of the movement, that is, complete the closingof the blade 1 on the bed' 2, by co-acting with the front wall of or the shoulder provided by the slot 16 in the blade member 3. This slot is so located, as to be beyond the reach of the arm 2530f lever 22 until substantially the end of the first stage of the closing movement of the severing member, that is I by the grip lever 22;

until the end of the movement of theblade by the fingers directly. As the blade nears this position, the slot 16 stands, over the shorter arm 23 of the lever 22 whereby a anovement of the grip lever 22 causes the shorter arm 23 to enter the slot, its front i to the bed 2 under a pressure multiplied The use of a slot like 16 to provide for the operation of the severing members by v the grip lever, that is an arrangement of the parts whereby the blade member 3 stands in the path of travel ofthe grip lever 22 during the first stage of movement, together with the strong overhanging lip 19, safe-guards the action of the power multiplying means, as it were. The deliberate use of the power multiplying means is restrained until its use becomes necessary and the accidental operation of'the power multiplying means by the involuntary action of the operators hand thereon is made impossible. The integral member 18 and overhanging lip 19 are given considerable strength in order that the possibly powerful action of the power multiplying means tending to displace the blade member 3 from the frame 4 may be resisted, and accordingly in order that the instrument may not be de- 7 stroyed in the midst of an operation by an involuntary contractlon of the operators hand, whereby the very co-action between the power multiplying means and the severing members may be employed to safeguard the action of the power multiplying means and a simplified mechanism result.

I have now illustrated and described in detail the best embodiment of my invention of which 1 am now aware. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to this embodiment but that this embodiment is merely illustrated by my invention and that my'invention is set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A tonsil remover comprising frame and blade severing members relatively slidable toward their severing position, initial closing means therefor, and power multiplyingmeans for completing the closing movement, said power multiplying means being held inoperative by the severing members during the initial closing movement and one of said members being provided with a strong part overhanging the other member to prevent the displacement of the blade from the frame under powerful action of the power multiplying means during the initial closing stage.

2. A tonsil remover comprising frame and 'towardtheir severing position, initial clos- ;ing means therefor, and a lever pivoted to one of said members, thefother of said members having a part standin in the pathlof the lever during the initial closing movement to prevent the operation of the lever during such initial movement and thereafter being engaged by the lever for operation thereby to ,complete the closing movement, and one of said members having a strong part extending over the other to 01)- pose the thrust of the lever and prevent the displacement of the severing members thereby during the initial closing movement.

3. A tonsil remover comprising severing members consistingofa frame and a blade member slidable thereon toward the closing position of said severing members, and a two stage closing means therefor comprising means for initially closing said severing members and power multiplying means consisting of a grip lever the shorter arm of i whichextends'toward and isvmovable into the path of movement of said blade member in substantially the central plane of the instrument, said blade member being provided with a slot receiving said shorter arm for engagement therewith and operation thereby during the second stage of the movement of said severing members and said frame being provided with alip overhanging said blade member adjacent the point of engagement of said lever therewith to prevent displacement of said blade member and frame;

l. A tonsil remover comprising severing members consisting of a frame and a blade member and a two stage closing means therefor comprising a part rigidly connected to the frame and another part rigidly connected tor-the blade member, the two parts being sodisposed in opposition to each other that the instrument is adapted to be grasped thereby in the operators hand to initially close said severing members, and a lever pivoted to the frame constituting power multiplying means for completing the closure thereof.

,ing grip lever, the grip and grip lever being disposed on the same side of the instrument and so adjacent said two parts as to lie substantially in the. same hand grasping said two parts.

6. Aetonsil remover comprising severing members conslsting of a frame and a blade member slidable thereon to closing positlon of said severing members, and atWo stage closing means therefor comprising a part rigidly connected to the frame and another part rigidly connected to the blade member, the tWo parts beingso disposed in opposition to each other that the instrument is adaptedto be grasped thereby in the operators hand to initially close said severing members and a power multiplying means for completing the closure thereof consisting of ,a grip and a cooperating grip lever disposed so adjacent said two parts as to lie in the same hand grasping said two parts, said blade member standing in the path of movement of said grip lever during the initial closing of said severing members and having ashoulder engageable With the shorter arm of said grip lever for operation thereby during the second stage of said closing movement, and said frame member being provided With a lip overhanging said blade member in opposition to and adjacent the point of engagement therewith by theflgrip lever to prevent the displacement of'said blade member from said frame.

7. A tonsil remover comprising frame and blade severing members relatively slidable toward their closing position, initial closing means therefor, a lever pivoted to one of said members, the other of said members having a part standing in the path of the lever during the initial closing movement to prevent the operation of the lever during such initial movement and thereafter being engageable by the lever for operation there by to complete the closing movement, means preventing the displacement of the severing eUsrAv F. nrcnrnn, 

